Decorum versus Nami, the pirate navigator
by penniless1
Summary: Nami battles her decorum in the name of crew bonding. Who wins?


Notes: I do not own "One Piece," a most awesome creation of Oda Eiichiro

Summary: Decorum versus Nami, who wins? Merryship, set before Loguetown.

* * *

The first time she did it was _embarrassing_ to say the least. She found out that she was very passionate, very skilled, and very, very loud. Guess which attribute brought the boys scampering below deck, breaking down the door to the 'Going Merry's' designated female quarters, and bursting into the room, weapons and limbs primed for a fight?

So after cracking their skulls and tossing them out of the room on their asses, Nami swore never to follow through on that feeling again. As annoying as it was to suppress that urge, she was a young woman with _decorum_, dammit, and she did not want to ever, _ever _replay the scene with the boys' wonder-filled eyes on her again.

That resolve lasted all of three hours. Immediately after Sanji had fed them all, Nami cut Usopp's story-telling short with a simple proclamation.

"I'm taking first watch, and when I'm done, I'm going straight to bed. And you idiots _better_ not disturb me."

She pointedly ignored the men's faces turning beet red as she got up and dropped her plate in the sink. She strode outside while equipping her staff, and patrolled the ship while the noise began again in the galley. When the others came out, she was pretty sure that they were skulking around her. It was humorous to watch them slinking out of her way like scolded puppies, particularly since Zoro and Luffy had not a sneaky bone in their bodies.

She decided to forgive them when she spotted them crouched near the mast, trying to decide who got second watch by a rather vigorous process of 'rock-paper-scissors-beatdown'. From the rear deck, she was looking down on their hair, which mingled in the sea breeze. Inky black, mossy green, spun gold, earthy brown - these belonged to _her_ crew, a crew that broke down the front door of her nightmares and forcefully dragged her hopes and dreams to light. She was in awe of them, and she was pretty sure that the warmth racing through her heart was radiating from her body like sunshine as they looked up at her sheepishly.

Armed with a pillow this time, there was no encore of the room assault. Which was a pity really, given that she was thinking of all of them when she lost her decorum again.

* * *

The pattern continued for a while. She'd take first watch every other day or so, then go to bed early and scream herself hoarse in the pillow. She was glad that they respected her privacy, but she was getting irritated with their avoidance of her. In fact, since she started first watch tonight, she hadn't seen them above deck at all.

'Aren't you a fickle wench? First you threaten to keel-haul them if they come, then you grumble about how they avoid you.'

She definitely needed to let off steam. Without reporting to Luffy, who wasn't around away, she stomped below deck, cursing under her breath about being driven to desperation.

* * *

She almost jumped through the ceiling when she lit her lantern and found her captain lounging on her bunk. His face was covered by his hat, and he looked like he'd just chosen the first free bunk to take a nap.

"Luffy, what in _hell_ are you doing in here?" she screeched, rubbing away the sudden throbbing in her temples.

She looked like a spitting cat when Sanji and Zoro dropped down from the bunks above.

"What are you guys _doing_? Get out of my room!"

She jumped and spun around when Usopp closed the door with a soft click.

"Oi, listen guys, if it's about your debts to me, I' m sure we can negotiate some reasonable rates so you can settle everything quickly. What do you say?" she stammered, as she stepped backward from the sniper. Her nerves were getting edgy as he removed his bandanna, freeing a cascade of ringlets and curls that resembled the rich earth beneath her orange trees.

Luffy's arms curled around her shoulders in a lazy feline manner, as she belated realized that he was standing behind her now, blocking her escape. His breath was warm against her neck, slow and deep like a tom-cat purring before a nap, but she was feeling anything but sleepy when he pulled her onto his naked chest, the edges of his red vest fluttering around them both. Her breathing was increasingly choppy and harsh in her ears, a distraction from the uncomplimentary shade of pink that she knew was rising on her face.

Once more she bemoaned her orange hair and fair complexion as she felt two distinctly different pairs of hands sweep over her exposed abdomen. Sanji's hands were smooth, deceptively delicate, coupled with long, strong, fingers that skimmed her skin and her nerves _just so_. Zoro's hands were wide, strength and control oozing from each digit, the rough calluses scraping against her flesh and setting her on fire. The combination had her shivering, which was voiced as a long moan when Usopp's dark hands, with their narrow fingers, deftly ran down her hips, then back up under her skirt.

Her eyes fell shut as a warm, smooth tongue left slow trails of lava along the back of her neck. She wasn't sure if she was hallucinating or not, but she knew for a fact that if this was all her imagination, she'd have to send away immediately for that device she saw in the back of the newspapers. Her thoughts were scattered to the four seas when Luffy's whispers finally reached her brain.

"Nami, did you know that you're really, _really_ loud for a girl?"

And then there were no more embarrassing moments, because she realized why most female pirates ditched decorum.


End file.
